Martin

Seems about right

The rink will be open around Thanksgiving. Actually I think the official open is the day after. They start planting the trees a week from today on November 16th. If you get a chance you should walk by and take a look. The rink is huge, and they've built some real nice glass tents. My guess is for skate rentals and coffee/hot chocolate. It looks much nicer than the last rink they had on there, and 4 times as big.

The installation of the (temporary) Ice Rink has begun. It will run from November through February. Crews are on-site right now with the raised platform that it will sit on. The area of the rink will be roughly 7,000 square feet comparable to Rockefeller Center.

I just heard that the trees won't be planted until late November. I'm not sure why. The Ice Rink installation should begin very soon - a week or so. It's supposed to be installed and running by Thanksgiving. The garage should open in a week or so. The elevator pavillion up top is almost done and looks pretty good. The restaurant (which really hasn't begun yet) isn't supposed to be complete until at least February. I think it has something to do with the 5/3rd work that hasn't begun yet. 5/3rd was supposed to begin in August. Don't expect the north part of the square to be open until at least June or July due to 5/3rd's schedule.

Did anyone catch the census reversal of Cincinnati's population? Hopefully Fountain Square and other efforts by 3CDC will help Cincinnati increase the population even more than 27 people. Supposedly they were going to plant trees around November 1st.

speaking of the fountain...I heard a number of people question if "they made it bigger" or if they (3CDC) had done something special to it. I truly believe that the new, more prominent, location on the square gives the pedestrian a much different perspective. I know you could walk up to her before, but in the old design she was perpendicular to the square, and in my opinion had more relationship with 5th street. I think the genius has a much more powerful and dignified presence on the site now. I can't wait until the trees are in and provide a nice back drop for her. Right now she's the same color as that ugly 5/3rd building and almost blends right in. When she was turned on over the weekend it was absolutely beautiful at night.

Nicola's is moving into a space that isn't built yet. Just behind the elevator pavillion that's currently under construction will be a new modern restaurant. It will be over the entrance to the garage from Vine Street.

3CDC should NOT be held accountable or be responsible for what she did. She is a well known artist, and it was completely appropriate to have her speak. The idea was good, and as 3CDC has said, the draft that she gave them did not have those comments. You can't control someone who has such an agenda. What's horrible is that something that was supposed to be a celebration now has such a negative cloud cast over it. I truly feel she did this city a dis-service by doing that. It seems that when folks are working hard towards progress and forward movement our city has a wonderul way, somehow, to digress. It's really unbelieveable sometimes.

3CDC 'regrets' opening poem BY JON NEWBERRY | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER Fountain Square management today expressed regret over the personal attacks and foul language included in Nikki Giovanni’s poem that she recited at the square’s reopening ceremony on Saturday. Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) had asked Giovanni, who grew up in Lincoln Heights, for something that would “deliver a positive, uplifting message about the importance of Cincinnatians reconnecting with one another,” the non-profit agency said in a statement. An early draft that Giovanni – who wasn’t paid for her appearance – provided didn’t include the lines that some people at the ceremony found offensive. Giovanni couldn’t be reached for comment this afternoon. The final version of Giovanni’s poem, written for the event and entitled “I Am Cincinnati,” referred to Ken Blackwell, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, as a “son of a bitch” and alluded to him as a “political whore,” drawing gasps and applause from onlookers. Blackwell also is a Cincinnati native. The agency “is strongly committed to the principle of free speech and the belief that Fountain Square is a center of open public discourse,” it said in the statement. “However, given the nature of this family-friendly celebration focused on moving our city forward, officials think the poem’s personal attacks and foul language were completely inappropriate.” 3CDC, which manages the square under a long-term contract with the city, said it asked Giovanni to participate because she is a famous, talented poet who’s also from Cincinnati. Bill Donabedian, Fountain Square’s managing director, said last week that Giovanni’s selection was inspired by President Bill Clinton’s 1993 inaugural at which the poet Maya Angelou read a poem. E-mail [email protected] http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061016/NEWS01/310160027

I was there, and you should have heard the crowd - it was silenced. The stunt was totally without class and extremely disrespectful. It was supposed to be a day of celebration and happiness for our city and I truly feel that she sh_t on it. Classless and without tact. I'm glad they opened it early. At least people can walk on that side of the street again and use it somewhat. If they wait until the restaurants are in, the square won't be open until at least next summer. Trees come in 2 weeks, and the ice rink will be 2 weeks after that. That will be fun. As for the granite, the bands don't just stop, but the construction did. They ran out of time and so they had to put stone down it seems. Did you also notice that the stairs to the west abruptly end in mulch? It's not supposed to do that, but again they ran out of time. That's where the trees go, and more granite. It will come together and be beautiful in time.

By the way, can someone tell me how to post images on this site? I took a bunch that day that I'd like to post. Thanx

The planting at ground level is where the trees will eventually go in 2 weeks. They didn't want to leave holes in the ground for people to trip in for the opening. Plus, pretty plants look much better. The "TV" or LED board was on all day. They actually turned the OSU game on at one point during the afternoon. The definition was ground, and the sound throughout the square was pretty awesome. I know they have a ways to go still, but what a great start. It will look completely different when the trees are in in 2 weeks, and when the rest is finally complete. Did anyone else notice those huge light masts for theatrical lighting? Those were pretty sweet and will give the programming many options I would think. By the way, that fountain at night is absolutely beautiful. I agree on the point the it wasn't promoted very well. They had tons of news coverage, but not alot of actual promotion and advertising. All in all, a great begining.

I was just checking out the webcam and they're installing the theatrical lighting right now. 1 more day to go and this place will be rockin. Have you seen how many people they have working down there during the day? It's borderline chaos, but I guess it's getting the job done in time. Even if the north part of the square won't be finished, I can't wait. By the way, did anyone see the Ice Rink rendering the other day on the front page of the Enquirer? That'll be up within a month along with the trees. Very exciting.

A perfect "wait and see" example before our media starts complaining. Was there any doubt that we would get enough licenses down there? Not in my mind. Sometimes I wish the first reaction of this city, and many of the residents, was not negative. There will be plenty of nightlife, restaurants, and licenses in the heart of our city. It's a process that takes time. People need to let things run their course. This article begins to put things back in perspective. I like the title especially.

If 3CDC waits to open until "all the issues are resolved" like some have suggested, then don't expect the square to fully open until at least next July. That's when the 5/3rd building is projected to be complete, and that's assumingn no delays along the way which we have already seen are possible. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to each lunch there in a couple weeks. Even if it's only 80% complete. Not to mention the parking being available again. Can't come soon enough if you ask me.

They never said the restaurants would be open, just the square. The restaurants are actually NOT part of the Fountain Square project. They're a separate 5/3rd project that has yet to begin. Just like the Westin has their own project as well as 525 Vine. I'm not sure what the hold up is with 5/3rd though, but they were supposed to begin construction on the 5/3rd facade in late September. Expect the entire north portion of the square to NOT be completed due to the construction activities on the 5/3rd low building. (the one with Rock Bottom in it) Either way, the rest of the square and garage look great so far.

Well it looks like they turned on the LED board this afternoon. It looked like mostly diagnostic stuff though, and actually more like just a 'power up.' I didn't see any images so far.

I can't believe how much progress they've made in the last couple weeks. I guess that's what happens when you approach a major deadline. They're framing the steel and building the new elevator pavilion and new restrooms right now. Steel hasn't really begun yet on the rest of the restaurant structure though. They still need to complete some foundation work first befor that can begin. The biggest thing is getting the elevators in place and running so they can open the garage for the opening. I looks like they've surrounded the fountain with granite and are moving quickly to the west towards Vine street.

Word is that the trees will NOT be planted for the opening for a number of reasons. Either way, it will be good to get on the square again and be able to park in the garage. There's no way they'll finish the restaurant either. What's strange to think about is that the ice rink is right around the corner. Any word on when they'll put that up?

Perhaps cost? Sometimes dreams are spring boards to reality. Proportionally as well they may have decided to work with standard 16:9 or some other typical media format so that it's easier to accept content in the future. That way you wouldn't have to spend the time to re-format everything they put up there. Maybe the designers like this better? Why does everyone always complain?

My guess the hold up is Fifth Third. The tenants are technically in their space, and for some reason they haven't started their construction. I'm not sure when that is even supposed to begin. Seems like there must be some kind of hold up internally over there. I can't think of any other reason unless the ellement of suprise...

If you look closely at the square they are actually very far along. Alot of the granite has been laid already, and the fountain is back. It looks to me that they are storing alot of junk up on top which makes it looks less complete. I bet they finish. There's no way that the new restaurant will be done though. By the looks of it they haven't really started that yet. I'm not sure how they'll finish the north part up by 5/3rd's new work either. My guess is they'll open from the fountain/restaurant area south.

The LED board is done except for turning it on. The color of the lattic work and paint beneath the board actually does match the lighter color surrounding the Macy's sign. Over time I assume that the light color of the metal will slowly get dirty and darken to match the building a little better.